Drone halts Arsenal's Carabao Cup tie at Fleetwood for nine minutes as police intervene

Arsenal’s Carabao Cup tie at Fleetwood Town was suspended for almost nine minutes on Tuesday night after a drone was spotted hovering above Highbury Stadium, forcing players from both sides off the pitch before police intervened to resolve the situation.

Referee Michael Salisbury halted proceedings in the opening phases of the match before making the decision to bring both teams off the field in the eighth minute. The crowd responded with boos as the drone’s faint lights were visible in the night sky above the stadium.

The delay threatened to stretch further when Salisbury gestured for the players to leave the pitch entirely, but the situation was brought under control relatively quickly. Police identified the drone’s operator, allowing the game to restart in the 10th minute — a total interruption of just under nine minutes.

Salisbury briefed both managers on the reasons for the stoppage as officials worked to resolve the issue. Drone activity over sporting venues is governed by strict Civil Aviation Authority regulations, and matches can be suspended when an unregistered or unauthorised device is detected in restricted airspace above a stadium.